The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
– Dr.Suess
There are a plethora of places you can turn to for IT training, but the quality of the programming and the cost can widely vary. On this page I’m focusing on folks who are offering high-quality learning opportunities at prices that should be accessible to just about everybody. Since there is no right or wrong way to plan your education, don’t be shy to try a few different things out and go with what works for you.
FULL DISCLOSURE: None of these recommendations are paid for, and I receive no compensation of any type. All of them I have either made use of myself, or have come to be aware of through other means.
Udemy
Udemy is a fully online educational institution with a large catalog of available IT training courses. I’m a HUGE Udemy fan. Their courses are excellent and the costs are very reasonable. Just keep in mind that Udemy is constantly having sales so there is really no reason to pay full price for anything you want to learn. If there isn’t a sale on today, just wait a few days and one will likely start.
Both Mike Meyers and Jason Dion, who are renowned for their certification courses (A+, Network+, Security+, etc.), can be found on Udemy.
Coursera
Like Udemy, Coursera is another online educational institution with similarly-affordable pricing. Coursera often partners with universities and large corporations (such as Google and IBM) for their course offerings. A large array of very high-quality content is here and it’s definitely worth checking out.
Professor Messer
I’m not sure how or why, but Professor Messer has IT training video courses for the CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ that are available for absolutely free. He does charge for his practice exams and study guides, but the courses themselves are wide open for anyone to use without cost. That’s about the best deal you will find anywhere.
Now, before you write this off as a case of: “You get what you pay for…”, be aware that Professor Messer is highly regarded in the industry and many, many students have credited him with getting them through those exams. His site is definitely worth having a look at.
Kevin Apolinario
This is a resource that’s a little different from the others on this list. Kevin is a passionate and experienced IT professional who has dedicated himself to helping others get into IT employment, whether it’s a first job out of school, a career transition, or anything else. You won’t find certification training, but what you WILL find is extremely practical advice and assistance for getting hands-on IT skills and experience, developing an effective resume for IT work, tackling IT-related job interviews and much more. If you are new to the industry, this is a resource you really need to take advantage of by subscribing to his YouTube channel and following him on LinkedIn.
Kevin also recently (as of May 2022) started offering a course on Udemy.
CompTIA
CompTIA is arguably the biggest dog in the park when it comes to IT Training and certifications. They are a great organization that takes the integrity of their certification programs seriously. It’s important to understand, though, that you do not have to take a CompTIA course in order to write a CompTIA exam! You can get the training anywhere, as long as you are confident it will adequately cover the exam material.
CompTIA offers some great courses and training packages, but they probably aren’t the least expensive way to go if cost is an issue. Still, the offerings are worth checking out as the packages have some unique benefits (like exam rewrite vouchers) that you won’t find anywhere else. Plus, it’s information “right from the horse’s mouth”, so to speak!
Microsoft Learn
Lots of people love to bash Microsoft as being just another giant, faceless, uncaring corporation. Be that as it may, they have put an awful lot of effort into giving people an enormous opportunity to become experts in the Microsoft ecosystem which, let’s face it, is the most widely-used business application environment in the world. By far.
Microsoft courses are free to take and easily accessible on their website. Some resources (like practice exams) you need to pay for, and of course there is a fee for writing exams, but the exam costs are certainly not any more onerous than what most others are charging.
If you take a look through the IT job openings on Indeed, LinkedIn, or anywhere else, you’ll see a lot of hiring managers looking for Microsoft certifications. I’m currently working on the Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate program myself.
